The air around Xian Shun grew heavy, thick with a tension that coiled like a serpent. The guardian's hand rose, a small gesture that sent waves of power through the space around them. Xian Shun steadied himself, every sense sharpened, every muscle taut with anticipation. He didn't know what awaited him, but he had come this far. He was ready.
The dark void of the Skyfire Dragon Ancient Realm shimmered, twisting and shifting as the black lightning and thunder began to fade. In its place, a series of scenes appeared before Xian Shun—each one as vivid as if he were truly there, each one a reflection of the trials he was about to face. His heart pounded as he realized that this was no ordinary test of physical endurance. This was a test of his spirit, his mind, and everything he had ever learned.
Test 1: Willpower
Xian Shun found himself standing on a crumbling bridge that stretched over a vast, endless abyss. The planks beneath his feet creaked ominously, and with every step he took, pieces of the bridge crumbled and fell into the darkness below, leaving him no way back. Around him, dark winds howled, fierce and unforgiving, tugging at his robes, pulling at him with invisible hands that threatened to throw him into the void.
As he moved forward, the guardian's voice echoed through the winds, calm and challenging. "Will you press on, or will you let despair claim you?"
Xian Shun gritted his teeth, a fire sparking in his chest. He thought of his family, of their hopes, their trust, and their belief in him. He thought of the long hours he had spent training, the sacrifices, the disappointments, and the quiet resolve that had kept him moving forward all his life. No amount of fear would break him—not here, not now.
With each step, he drew strength from his memories, from his struggles, and from the deep well of determination he had cultivated over the years. The bridge behind him disappeared, leaving him with no retreat, no hesitation. His will was iron, and as he took his final step, the bridge vanished entirely, and the scene dissolved around him. He had passed, his resolve unshaken.
Test 2: Love and Compassion
The void shifted, and Xian Shun was no longer alone. Before him stood his family: his father, Xian Haoran, his mother, Lan Meiyu, and his cousin Mei Lian. They smiled at him, faces filled with warmth and love. But a moment later, a shadow loomed over them, a dark, consuming force that began to encase them, drawing them away, threatening to pull them into an abyss of shadows.
"Would you sacrifice your ambitions to save them?" the guardian's voice echoed, his tone carrying both challenge and judgment. "Do you love them enough to let go of everything you desire?"
Xian Shun's heart clenched, a pang of fear slicing through him. He looked at their faces, the love and support they had given him all his life, the countless times they had believed in him even when he doubted himself. He would give anything to protect them; ambition, power—none of it mattered compared to the people who had given him strength.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward, moving toward the shadows as they threatened to engulf his family. The dark force recoiled, fading away like mist. His family disappeared, and the scene dissolved. He had passed, his compassion unbroken.
The guardian watched in silence, surprised by the young boy's unwavering resolve, his selflessness as pure as a flame untouched by the winds.
Test 3: Responsibility and Leadership
The darkness shifted, and Xian Shun found himself standing at the head of a crowd of frightened, panicked people. Around them, chaos reigned; disaster had struck, and they looked to him, desperation in their eyes. He felt their fear like a weight pressing on his chest, the pressure to lead them to safety heavy as iron.
"Can you guide them?" the guardian's voice echoed, his tone testing. "Or will the weight of their lives crush you?"
Xian Shun took a steadying breath, his mind racing back to the responsibilities he had carried as a member of the Xian family. He remembered the quiet moments of self-doubt, the times he had wondered if he was truly worthy of being the family's future. But he also remembered the lessons his father had taught him—the strength to remain calm, the wisdom to lead with a steady hand, the courage to bear others' fears along with his own.
He called out to the people, his voice strong and steady. He directed them calmly, reassuring them, guiding them to safety as he would his own family. Slowly, the panic subsided, order was restored, and the people began to follow him with trust in their eyes.
As the scene faded, the guardian's voice whispered in quiet astonishment. "Such composure… such grace."
Test 4: Courage and Facing Fear
This time, the void around him transformed into a nightmare. Xian Shun found himself surrounded by the darkest fears he had ever known—towering beasts from the wildlands, mocking faces of those who had doubted him, and echoes of his own failures, each one a reminder of his struggles, his insecurities, the judgment he feared from those he loved.
"Do you have the courage to face your fears?" the voice asked, soft but piercing. "Or will they devour you?"
Xian Shun felt a chill creep up his spine, his breath catching as the monstrous visions closed in on him. But then he remembered the countless times he had felt fear—the fear of disappointing his family, of not measuring up, of failing to meet the expectations placed upon him. He had faced those fears before, and while they had left scars, he had never let them define him.
He steadied his breathing, his heart pounding but his resolve unbroken. One by one, he faced each fear head-on. He looked into the eyes of every monstrous form, standing firm, refusing to flinch. Slowly, they began to dissolve, fading into nothingness.
The guardian watched, his eyes wide with disbelief. "This boy… his courage rivals that of my master himself."
Test 5: Honesty and Integrity
In the final test, Xian Shun found himself standing before a mirror. But the figure staring back wasn't his reflection—it was an idealized version of himself, powerful, respected, a cultivator who had achieved everything he had ever dreamed of. The reflection's eyes gleamed with a strength that surpassed his own, a confidence that came not from effort, but from the allure of instant power.
"Will you abandon your integrity for the power you seek?" the voice asked, tempting him with the chance to take the reflection's place, to gain everything he had ever wanted without the years of struggle.
For a moment, Xian Shun hesitated, staring at the powerful figure before him. The temptation was undeniable. All he had ever wanted, all he had ever dreamed of—it was there, waiting for him. But as he looked closer, he realized the reflection was empty, hollow, a power without purpose. He remembered the lessons he had learned, the belief that true strength came from within, from discipline and effort, not from shortcuts or illusions.
"No," he said firmly, his voice unwavering. "I will earn my power. I won't sacrifice who I am for it."
The image in the mirror shattered, dissolving into shards that vanished into the void, leaving him standing alone once more. The space around him returned to the black void, lightning crackling around him in dark arcs.
When the tests ended, the guardian stood before him, eyes wide, his gaze filled with something akin to awe. The fiery form around him flickered, black lightning dimming, as though it too had been shaken by what it had witnessed. In all his years of guarding the Skyfire Dragon Ancient Realm, he had never seen anyone—let alone a fourteen-year-old boy—pass these tests with such unyielding resolve, grace, and wisdom. It was as though he had looked upon a mirror image of the Skyfire Dragon himself.
"How… how is this possible?" the guardian whispered, more to himself than to Xian Shun. "You are only fourteen, yet your spirit… it is like my master's."
Xian Shun, still catching his breath from the trials, looked up at the guardian with calm eyes. He didn't feel triumphant, nor did he feel victorious. Instead, he felt a deep peace, as though the tests had reminded him of something he had always known but never fully grasped.
"I only did what I believed was right," Xian Shun said quietly, his voice steady.
The guardian paused, his fiery gaze narrowing as he regarded the young cultivator. "What you believed was right?" he repeated, a note of disbelief in his voice. "These tests were meant to strip you bare, to break your resolve, to expose every weakness and flaw. And yet, you…" He trailed off, still unable to comprehend the boy before him.
"You possess the mindset, the strength, the heart… It is exactly like my master's, like the Skyfire Dragon when he was chosen to ascend."
Xian Shun's eyes widened at the words. "Like… the Skyfire Dragon?"
The guardian nodded, his fiery expression somber. "I have guarded this realm for eons, and in all that time, I have never encountered a soul like yours. You showed strength of will, compassion, integrity—qualities beyond your years, qualities even the greatest of cultivators have struggled to achieve."
The weight of the guardian's words settled over Xian Shun, his heart pounding as he realized the gravity of what had just transpired. He had faced tests that went beyond strength and power, tests that challenged the very core of his spirit. And he had passed, not only with strength but with understanding.
"Does this mean… I'm worthy to be the Skyfire Dragon's disciple?" Xian Shun asked, the words barely a whisper.
The guardian stepped forward, his gaze fierce and unwavering. "More than worthy," he replied, his voice filled with conviction. "You have shown the heart of a warrior, the soul of a leader, and the spirit of one who may one day ascend to the heights my master once did."
In that moment, Xian Shun understood that this was more than a test. It was a revelation—a glimpse of the greatness he could achieve, the legacy he could carry. And as he looked into the guardian's eyes, he knew that his journey was only beginning.